Hertz rolls out companion app to facilitate pre-rental trip planning

Rather than concede to the pervasive mobile mapping app, Hertz has created a companion mobile app product to enhance the utility – and thus perceived value – of its in-car GPS system, NeverLost.

The global car rental company realizes that many drivers are consulting mobile devices for directions, which cuts into the high-margin in-car navigation product. In order to encourage more rentals of the devices, the utility has been boosted by the ability to research and plan destinations prior to a trip on the app. These plans can then be imported into the car's system once the trip has begun.

Categories across travel can be explored, and an itinerary built accordingly. For families and time-strapped business travelers, this feature means that no time is wasted getting on the road upon arrival. A boon for parents, and also for those with busy schedules (like sales teams) that can have assistants pre-populate sales calls prior to renting the car.

The interface, seen below, works by allowing users to create folders that can then be sent into NeverLost for real-world navigation.